JPH05340655A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To exhibit reliably an anti-icing function in a water feed route from a water feed source to ice-trays without reducing a cooling efficiency and caus ing wasteful consumption of electric power. CONSTITUTION:When a defrosting command signal Sd is inputted at a step A2, defrosting operation for a cooler is started under the condition that rapidly freezing operation is not carried out (steps A14, A15). Thereafter, the heat value of an anti-icing heater is set to a rated output (100% output) during a period until three hours elapse after starting the defrosting operation (steps A3, A9). During a period of time except the fore-mentioned period, a period of rapidly freezing operation in a freezing chamber, a period until 90 minutes elapse thereafter and a period of water feed to ice-trays, the heat value of the anti-icing heater is set to either 50% of the rated output or 30% thereof according to a state of a room temperature Tr (steps A5, A6, A7).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with an automatic ice maker, and more particularly to a refrigerator provided with an anti-icing heater in a water supply path from a water supply source to an ice tray.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an automatic ice maker provided in a refrigerator of this type, an ice tray is placed in an ice making space that is cooled in the same manner as a freezer compartment, and a water supply tank (for example, a refrigerator is used in the ice tray). (Provided in the room) to supply water, and in such a water supply state, when the temperature of the ice tray reaches the ice making completion temperature, the ice tray is rotated while being twisted. The ice-breaking operation is performed such that the ice generated in the ice tray is dropped into the ice storage box below.

In this case, when the internal water freezes in the water supply path from the water supply tank which is the water supply source to the ice tray,
Since the water supply to the ice tray is not smoothly performed, a heater has been conventionally provided to prevent the water in the water supply passage from being frozen. Specifically, such an anti-icing heater is provided on at least the lower surface of the water supply tank,
In addition, it is provided at two locations around the water supply hose extending from the water supply tank to the ice tray and is configured to be continuously energized at all times.

[0004]

The rated output of the anti-icing heater that is always energized as described above is determined on the assumption of the worst condition in which icing is most likely to occur in the water supply route. There is a problem in that heat is unnecessarily generated during periods other than those described above, resulting in deterioration of the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator. In addition, there is a problem in that the amount of power consumption becomes relatively large because heat is constantly generated at the maximum output.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an ice preventing function in a water supply path from a water supply source to an ice tray to reduce power consumption without lowering cooling efficiency. The purpose of this is to provide a refrigerator that has the effects of being able to take advantage of it.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides at least a predetermined refrigerator in an automatic ice maker having an ice prevention heater provided in a water supply path from a water supply source to an ice tray. Control means for causing the anti-icing heater to generate heat at maximum output only for a predetermined period in synchronization with the refrigerator control operation performed in a cycle, and for causing the anti-icing heater to generate heat in a reduced output state during other periods Is.

In this case, the refrigerator control operation can be a defrosting operation of the cooler which is performed every predetermined time.

[0008]

According to the refrigerator of claim 1, when the anti-icing heater is heated, the water in the water supply path from the water supply source to the ice tray is prevented from freezing.
As a result, the water supply operation to the ice tray can always be performed smoothly. In this case, the anti-icing heater generates heat at the maximum output for a predetermined period at least in synchronization with the refrigerator control operation that is performed at least in a predetermined cycle. During the period, heat is generated in a state where the output is reduced, so that a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator due to the heat generation is suppressed and wasteful power consumption is also suppressed.

According to the refrigerator of claim 2,
The anti-icing heater generates heat at a maximum output for a predetermined period each time the defrosting operation of the cooler is performed.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 5 showing the appearance of a refrigerator, a refrigerating compartment 1 having double doors 1a and 1b is provided above a refrigerator body 2, and an ice making compartment 3 having a drawer type door 3a is a refrigerator body. It is provided in the middle part of 2. In addition, the refrigerator main body 2 has a freezer compartment 4 having a drawer-type door 4a, a freezer compartment 5 also having a drawer-type door 4a (see FIG. 4), and a vegetable compartment having a drawer-type door 6 ( (Not shown). The ice making chamber 3 is cooled to the same temperature as the freezing chambers 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic structure of the automatic ice maker 7 provided in the refrigerator body 2, which will be described below.

That is, in the tank storage corner 1c formed at the bottom of the refrigerating compartment 1, the water supply tank 8 as a water supply source.
(Also shown in FIG. 5), a tank shelf 9 for supporting the water supply tank 8 in a mounted state, a water tray 10 for supplying a constant water level from the water tank 8, and a water supply pump 11 for pumping water in the water tray 10. The water pumped up by the water supply pump 11 is supplied to the ice tray 12 arranged in the ice making chamber 3 via the water supply hose 11a. Further, the tank switch 13 is used for the water supply tank 8
Is configured to be turned on in a state of being set (placed) on the tank shelf 9. In addition, the control of the amount of water supply to the ice tray 12 is
This is performed by driving the water supply pump 11 for a fixed time.

The ice tray 12 is made of an elastically deformable plastic material. When the ice tray 12 is completed, it is rotated by the ice machine body 14 having a built-in motor and the like, and twisted at the final stage of the rotation. The ice dropping operation is performed, and the ice dropped from the ice tray 12 by the ice removing operation is stored in the ice storage box 1 below.
It is stored in 5.

Inside the ice storage box 15, there is provided an ice storage amount detection lever 16 which is rotated upward as the ice storage amount increases, and the rotation amount of the lever 16 reaches a set value. At this time, that is, when a predetermined amount or more of ice is stored in the ice storage box 15, a limit switch (not shown) in the ice making machine body 14 is turned on to restrain the start of the ice removing operation.

On the back surface of the ice tray 12, the temperature T
A thermistor 17 for detecting i is provided,
Based on the detected temperature Ti of the thermistor 17, control of the ice making completion time and the like is performed as described later.

Further, in the water supply path from the water supply tank 8 to the ice tray 12, for example, around the lower surface of the water supply tank 8 and around the water supply hose 11a, ice prevention heaters 18 and 19 are provided.
Is provided.

On the other hand, FIG. 3 schematically shows an electrical configuration by combining functional blocks, which will be described below.

The temperature detection circuit 20 includes the thermistor 17
A temperature signal Si having a voltage level corresponding to the detected temperature Ti is output and given to the control circuit device 21 as a control means. The cooling operation temperature detection circuit 22 includes a temperature sensor provided to detect the temperatures of the freezer compartments 4 and 5, and a temperature sensor provided to detect the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 1.
A signal indicating the temperature detected by each temperature sensor is given to the control circuit device 21.

The room temperature detection circuit 23 detects the temperature of the installation atmosphere of the refrigerator main body 2, that is, the room temperature, outputs a temperature signal Sr having a voltage level corresponding to the detected temperature Tr, and supplies the temperature signal Sr to the control circuit device 21. Further, the quick freezing switch 24 is provided at an appropriate position on the front surface of the refrigerator main body 1, and when it is turned on, outputs the quick freezing command signal Sf to give it to the control circuit device 21.

The water supply lamp 25 is, for example, the refrigerator compartment door 1b.
Is provided on the front surface of the water tank, and in response to the lighting thereof, it notifies that the inside of the water supply tank 8 has become empty and informs an abnormality such as a defective setting of the water supply tank 8. Defrost heater 26
Is attached to a cooler (not shown), and performs a defrosting operation (refrigerator control operation in the present invention) of melting frost on the cooler according to the energization.

The compressor 27 is a well-known one which constitutes a refrigeration cycle for an internal cooling operation, and a liquid refrigerant is supplied to the cooler in response to its driving. The fan device 28 has a well-known configuration provided to circulate the cool air by the cooler in the refrigerator according to its drive. The damper device 29 has a well-known configuration provided so as to adjust the amount of cold air supplied from the cooler into the refrigerating chamber 1 according to the opening / closing of the damper device 29.

The integration timer 30 is provided to determine the defrosting operation start timing of the cooler, performs the timer operation only during the driving period of the compressor 27, and the timer operation time is a predetermined time T ( For example, when it reaches 8 hours), the defrosting command signal Sd is output to output the control circuit device 21.
Is configured to give. In addition, this integration timer 3
0 is initialized when the defrosting operation of the cooler is started by the control circuit device 21 and stops outputting the defrosting command signal Sd.

The control circuit device 21 is constituted by including a microcomputer, and has the above-mentioned temperature detection circuit 2.
0, cooling operation temperature detection circuit 22, room temperature detection circuit 23,
In addition to the input signals from the quick freezing switch 24 and the integration timer 30, an ON signal from the tank switch 13 is also received. Based on these input signals and a program stored in advance, the water supply pump 11, the ice making Machine body 1
4, the anti-icing heaters 18 and 19, the water supply lamp 25, the defrosting heater 26, the compressor 27, the fan device 28, and the damper device 29 are configured to be controlled.

The control circuit device 2 shown in FIGS.
Of the control contents of 1, only the part directly related to the gist of the present invention is shown, and this will be described below together with the related operation.

In FIG. 1, in the power-on state, the input state of the quick freezing command signal Sf from the quick freezing switch 24 is judged (step A1), and in the non-input state, the defrosting command signal Sd is input from the integrating timer 30. The state is judged (step A2). In the state where the defrosting command signal Sd is not input, that is, in the state where the cumulative drive time of the compressor 27 has not reached 8 hours, it is determined whether or not 3 hours have passed since the start of the previous defrosting operation ( Step A3),
When "YES" is determined, it is determined whether 90 minutes have passed since the end of the previous quick freezing operation (step A4). When it is determined to be "YES", it is determined whether the room temperature Tr indicated by the temperature signal Sr from the room temperature detection circuit 23 is 13 ° C or lower (step A).
3).

When Tr ≦ 13 ° C., the output of each of the freeze prevention heaters 18 and 19 is set to 50% of the rated output (step A6), and when Tr> 13 ° C., the freeze prevention heaters 18 and 19 are set. Each output is set to 30% of the rated output (step A7). After performing any of these steps A6 and A7, it is determined whether or not the temperature Ti of the ice tray 12 indicated by the temperature signal Si from the temperature detection circuit 20 is equal to or lower than the ice making completion temperature of -12.5 ° C. (Step A
8), when Ti> -12.5 ° C., that is, when the ice making in the ice making tray 12 is not completed, the initial state (step A
Return to 1).

A state in which 3 hours have not elapsed since the start of the previous defrosting operation ("NO" in step A3), and a state in which 90 minutes have not elapsed since the end of the previous quick freezing operation (step A4) "NO"), the output of each of the anti-icing heaters 18 and 19 is the maximum output of the rated output (10
0% output) is set (step A9), and then the process proceeds to step A8.

When the quick freezing command signal Sf is input from the quick freezing switch 24 ("YES" in step A1).
First, the freeze prevention heaters 18 and 19 are set to the rated output (step A10), after which the compressor 27 and the fan device 28 are forcibly operated to start the quick freezing operation of the freezer compartments 4 and 5 (step A11). ..

After the quick freezing operation is started, it is judged based on a signal from the cooling operation temperature detection circuit 22 whether or not the temperature in the freezing chambers 4 and 5 has reached the quick freezing end temperature (step A12), if the quick freezing end temperature has not been reached, the judgment step A8 is executed. Also,
When the temperature in the freezer compartments 4 and 5 reaches the quick freezing end temperature, the compressor 27 and the fan device 28 are stopped to stop the quick freezing operation (step A13), and then the determination step A4 is executed.

In the execution state of steps A1 to A13 as described above, when the defrosting command signal Sd is input from the integration timer 30 ("YES" in step A2), the quick freezing operation is being executed. Or not (Step A
14), if it is being executed, the judgment step A1
2 is executed, but when the quick freezing operation is not executed, the defrosting operation by the defrosting heater 26 is executed with the operation of the compressor 27 and the fan device 28 stopped (routine A15), and thereafter. It returns to step A1 which is an initial state.

On the other hand, the temperature Ti of the ice tray 12 is -12.5.
When the temperature falls below ℃ (“YES” in step A8), it is determined whether or not the ice removal flag RF is “0” (step A16). Here, as will be apparent from the description below, the ice removing flag RF becomes "0" when the ice making operation of the ice making tray 12 is not completed and water is supplied into the ice making tray 12, and the ice removing operation is performed. After completion of the above, the water level is "1" when the water supply to the ice tray 12 is not completed.

When the ice removing flag RF is "0", the ice making machine 14 performs the ice removing operation and changes the ice removing flag RF to "1" (routine A17, step A18). After that, the input state of the defrosting command signal Sd from the integration timer 30 is determined (step A19). Further, when the ice removal flag RF is “1” (step A
16 to "NO"), routine A17 and step A
Step 18 is jumped and step A19 is executed.

When the defrosting command signal Sd is not input at the time of executing the step A19, the set state of the water supply tank 8 is judged based on the signal from the tank switch 13 (step A20), and the water supply is started. When the tank 8 is not set correctly, the state in which the water supply lamp 25 is turned on is continued until the water supply tank 8 is correctly set (step A21).

When the water supply tank 8 is properly set, it waits for the time τa (step A22), and thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2, each output of the anti-icing heaters 18 and 19 is set to the rated output (step A23). ). Next, the water supply pump 11 is driven for a certain period of time to supply water to the ice tray 12, and the ice removal flag RF is changed to "0" (routine A24, step A25), and thereafter, determination step A3.
The control after 0 is executed.

On the other hand, when step A19 is executed,
When the defrosting command signal Sd is input, the defrosting operation by the defrosting heater 26 is executed with the operation of the compressor 27 and the fan device 28 stopped (routine A
26). After this, the set state of the water supply tank 8 is judged based on the signal from the tank switch 13 (step A27), and if the water supply tank 8 is not set correctly, the state in which the water supply lamp 25 is turned on is determined. Continue until the water tank 8 is set correctly (Step A
28).

At this time, when the water supply tank 8 is properly set, the apparatus waits for the time τa (step A29),
After this, the output setting step A23, the water supply operation routine A24, and the flag changing step A25 shown in FIG. 2 are sequentially executed, and thereafter, the control after the judgment step A30 is executed.

In FIG. 2, in the judgment step A30 which is performed after the water supply operation to the ice tray 12 is completed, it is judged whether or not the temperature of the ice tray 12 is −9.5 ° C. or higher. At this time, when the water is normally supplied to the ice tray 12, the temperature Ti increases, but when the water is not normally supplied due to lack of water in the water tank 8, The temperature Ti of the ice tray 12 does not rise above -9.5 ° C.

When Ti ≧ −9.5 ° C., that is, when the water is supplied to the ice tray 12 normally, the process returns to the initial state of step A1 in FIG.
When the temperature is <−9.5 ° C., a loop for repeatedly executing the determination step A30 is formed to wait for a predetermined time τb (about 5 to 6 minutes) (step A31), and Ti ≧ −9 during the waiting period. If the temperature does not reach 5 ° C, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the water supply operation to the ice tray 12 (including the state where the water supply tank 8 is empty), and the water supply lamp 25 is turned on (step A32). ).

In this lighting state, the temperature of the ice tray 12 is -9.5 ° C. until the water supply tank 8 is reset.
Wait until the temperature rises above (steps A33, A3
4). Then, when the water supply tank 8 is reset or when Ti ≧ −9.5 ° C., the water supply lamp 25 is turned off (step A35), and thereafter, the initial state is returned to.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, the control circuit device 21 executes the ice removing operation routine A17 at the time of execution.
When a limit switch (not shown) is turned on by the ice storage amount detection lever 16, the ice return operation is not performed and the initial state is restored. Although not shown, the defrosting operation of the cooler is configured to be stopped when the temperature of the cooler rises to a predetermined defrosting completion temperature according to the defrosting operation.

In summary, the anti-icing heaters 18 and 19
Is a period from the start of the defrosting operation of the cooler, which is a refrigerator control operation performed in a predetermined cycle, to the lapse of 3 hours, ... During the quick freezing operation period of the freezer compartments 4 and 5, and During the period until 90 minutes have elapsed after the end of the quick-freezing operation, ... During the water supply operation period to the ice tray 12, heat is generated at the rated output that is the maximum output, and during the other periods, the room temperature Tr 30% of rated output depending on high and low
Alternatively, the output is reduced to either 50%.
For this reason, the anti-icing function of the anti-icing heaters 18 and 19 is periodically maximized, and the water is supplied to the ice tray 12 during the water supply operation or during the quick freezing operation of the freezer compartments 4 and 5. Even when the water in the water supply path from the tank 8 to the ice tray 12 easily freezes, the freeze prevention heater 1
The anti-icing function of 8 and 19 will be maximized.

Further, in the periods other than the above-mentioned (1) to (7), the outputs of the antifreezing heaters 18 and 19 can be suppressed to the necessary minimum, and as a result, the heaters 18 and 1 can be suppressed.
It is possible to reduce the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator due to the heat generation of No. 9 and wasteful power consumption. Moreover, since the output suppressing function of the anti-icing heaters 18 and 19 is controlled by using the room temperature as a parameter, the effect of suppressing unnecessary power consumption can be further enhanced.

In the above embodiment, the compressor 27 and the fan device 28 may be forcedly operated for a predetermined time before the defrosting operation is started, that is, a so-called precool operation may be performed. In addition, the heat generation function at the rated output of the anti-icing heaters 18 and 19 during the above period becomes more effective. Further, the water receiving tray 10, the water supply pump 11 and the like may be provided with an anti-icing heater.

[0044]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the freezing provided on the water supply path from the water supply source to the ice tray for a predetermined period in synchronization with the refrigerator control operation performed in a predetermined cycle. Since the prevention heater is configured to generate heat at the maximum output and the ice prevention heater is generated in a state in which the output is reduced during the other period, the function of preventing ice in the water supply path causes a decrease in cooling efficiency. In addition, it is possible to exert an excellent effect that it can be surely exhibited while suppressing unnecessary power consumption.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing the control contents of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the control contents of one embodiment of the present invention (part 2)

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an electrical configuration.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an essential part.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a refrigerator

[Explanation of symbols]

In the figure, 1 is a refrigerating room, 2 is a refrigerator body, 3 is an ice making room, 4,
5 is a freezer compartment, 6 is a vegetable compartment, 7 is an automatic ice maker, 8 is a water supply tank, 11 is a water supply pump, 12 is an ice tray, 14 is an ice maker body, 18 is a temperature detection circuit, 18 and 19 are ice prevention heaters. , 22 is a control circuit device (control means), 23 is a room temperature detection circuit, 27 is a compressor, 28 is a fan device, and 30 is an integrating timer.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A refrigerator having a built-in automatic ice maker having an ice prevention heater in a water supply path from a water supply source to an ice tray, said ice formation being provided at least for a predetermined period in synchronization with a refrigerator control operation performed at a predetermined cycle. A refrigerator provided with control means for causing the prevention heater to generate heat at maximum output and for the other period to generate heat with the output of the ice prevention heater reduced. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator control operation is a defrosting operation of the cooler performed every predetermined time.